Dating fraud increases by 33%

Online dating fraud has increased by a third in the last year at a cost of millions of pounds to the UK public, new figures show.

The figures from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) show a 33% increase in online dating fraud cases last year compared with 2013, with the cost up from £24.5 million to £34 million over the same period.

The report shows that 85% of dating scams last year stemmed from online dating websites or forums.